Rivulet Of Ages
by gunman
Summary: A magical spring accelerates Shinji's age while he and Ritsuko are on a vacation trip, but it also results in the pair revealing their feelings for each other. Lemon.


_**RIVULET OF AGES**_

by Gunman

Disclaimer: I do not own Eva, it's characters, or anything magical or mystical.

Summary: A magical spring accelerates Shinji's age while he and Ritsuko are on a vacation trip, but it also results in the pair revealing their feelings for each other.

Author's Notes: Just so people know, 'Rivulet' is another word for river or spring. I just used it because I'm sure no one else had. I'm also writing this, due to a lack of Shinji/Ritsuko stories.

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"I think we're lost, Dr. Akagi." Shinji said to the blonde doctor.

The blonde woman sighed. _Wonderful! I've become Misato!_ She groaned.

The pair had been driving for nearly three hours, and were now hopelessly lost somewhere in the backwoods between Tokyo-3 and the Taisuchi Springs Inn.

The Angels had stopped attacking for no apparent reason. Lilith and Adam had disappeared. And when Gendo committed suicide, the NERV crew found themselves with vacation time while the UN decided what to do with them and the Geofront.

As such, Misato had suggested that the group take a vacation to a hot springs in the mountains. The group, which consisted of Misato, Asuka, Rei, PenPen, Ritsuko and Shinji, had packed and left at the same time. However, Asuka had to go back for a _few_ things, which meant that Misato had to rent a van for them.

Ritsuko had agreed to go on ahead with Shinji and PenPen, as the warm-water penguin didn't want to stay with the violent redhead or the blue-haired doll (as the redhead called her), and get them all registered at the inn.

However...

_I can't believe this! _Ritsuko groaned as she drove on down the dirt road._ I followed the signs and the map, and I still get lost. Hmm. Maybe I can get directions from that shack up ahead._ She thought as she pulled up to it.

The pair got out of the car, leaving PenPen inside, and walked to the abandoned shack that was situated against the tall hillside and surrounded by trees and bushes. Actually, the shack just looked like it had been abandoned, aside from the various pieces of trash and garbage that indicated someone actually lived there.

"Do you think anyone's home?" Shinji asked.

"Doesn't look like it. Maybe someone's out back?" Ritsuko suggested.

"I'll check."

Ritsuko smiled as she watched him go, actually glad she had gotten lost with Shinji and not Rei or Asuka. She turned back and rapped on the door. Within a few seconds, a crusty old figure opened the door and barked, "Who are you?! What are you doing here? Can't you read signs?!"

"What signs? I didn't see any signs leading to this place." Ritsuko said.

"Really? Damn it I thought I marked them clear enough. Stupid shrubs!"

"We were just looking for the road to the Taisuchi Springs Inn."

"We? There's someone else? Huh. I hope your friend didn't find the Rivulet Of Ages." she huffed.

"The what of what?"

"The Rivulet of Ages. It's a small spring that shoots out water every so often from the stone cliff side of the shack. Anyone or anything that gets hit with the water ages rapidly."

Ritsuko stared at the old woman.

"A springs... that shoots out water... that makes people older?" the scientist asked.

"Yes." the old woman said.

"You can't be serious!"

"Lady, I'm living proof!"

"Barely living." she muttered.

The old woman just glared at Ritsuko. "How old are you?"

"30. And if I had to guess, I'd say you're about 80."

"I didn't ask you how old I was, and for your information, I'm 35!"

Ritsuko looked at the woman, left eyebrow arching up. _Maybe the water made her senile as well._

"You look skeptical. I was too. Until I found the Rivulet a couple years back and not only got doused with the mystical water, but also swallowed it. In less than a day, I found myself turning into this decrepit old prune of a woman! Ever since then I've stayed in this abandoned old shack to make sure other people don't find their way here. For the most part it's worked, but now..."

SPLASH!

"Oh no." the old woman hissed.

"What was..."

"ACK!" Shinji gasped as he stumbled around the corner.

"Shinji! Are you alright?" Ritsuko asked, noticing how damp the boy looked.

"I think so." the boy said. "I was trying to find someone out back when this surge of water shot out of the side of the cliff and hit me square in the back. At least the water was clean."

"It hit you in back?" the aged woman asked, somewhat relieved.

"Yes."

"So you didn't swallow any of it? Not a drop?"

"Uh... no. Why?"

"Hmm. If you're lucky you'll just double your age." the old woman said.

"What?" Shinji asked.

"Never mind. Explain later." Ritsuko said to the boy and turned to the old woman. "So... how do we get out of here and to the Taisuchi Springs Inn?" she asked.

"Oh. Go back down the dirt road and when you get to the main road, turn right. Take the next three left's you come to, and about an hour or two you should be there." she said.

"Thanks again." Ritsuko said as she and Shinji got into the car and drove off.

As they left, the old woman looked up and grimaced. "Hmm. Angry looking storm clouds."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Ritsuko made the first turn and continued down the road. Shinji had dried off and taken to sleeping until they reached their destination.

However, while he slept, Ritsuko couldn't help but look over and smile warmly at the boy.

_Misato was right. He's a real cutie_. She thought. _And definitely a lot more caring than his father could ever have been. I wonder... what Shinji would be like if he did... no! Stop it Ritsuko! That's just ridiculous! 'Rivulet of Ages' indeed. Like a reverse Fountain of Youth could actually exist!_ She sighed as she shook her head. _Still... if what that old woman said was true, and Shinji only got hit with the water on the outside of his body, didn't swallow any of it, could he actually double in age? Which would make him... what? 29? 30? When was his birthday again? ARGH! Why am I even thinking about this now?_ She wondered, turning attention back to the road and driving, not noticing the gradual increase in Shinji's body, his tightening clothes and such.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Shinji slept the whole four hour drive and remained in the car while Ritsuko checked them in.

When she came back out to the car she woke him up, noticing that something was different about him than before. But she didn't fully realize it until Shinji stepped out of the car and stood up, towering over the faux-blonde woman.

"What the..." she gasped, standing face-to-face with a young man who now stood six feet tall over her 5'10" frame.

"What's wrong Dr Akagi?" Shinji asked, his voice deeper now.

"Uh.. I... what the... Shinji?" she asked, staring at the young man.

"Yes." he replied, touching his throat curiously. "Whoa. My voice changed. Must have been a longer drive than I thought."

"You have no idea." Ritsuko replied, suddenly noticing how handsome the adult Shinji was.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Shinji suddenly realized two things.

One: he was taller than Ritsuko, and Two: his clothes were very tight now.

The pair made it to their room, with PenPen being easily carried by the young man, where Shinji finally got a look at himself in the full-length mirror and gasped.

"WHA... What's Happened To Me?" he gasped, staring at his now older face and body, his shirt and way-too-tight pants ripping now to reveal his new athletic body. "Oh boy!"

Ritsuko blushed, sucking in her breath as she took notice of the strong and athletic looking body Shinji now had.

"Whoa! I didn't think I was in this good of shape." he said, running his hands over his athletic torso down to his six-pack abs.

Ritsuko slapped herself when she realized she wished it was her hands running across his chest.

"Dr Akagi, what's happened to me?" he asked.

"I... I don't know, Shinji-kun." she said. _Though I'm glad the others aren't here to see this. And at least the staff didn't see Shinji come in here._

"But... you do have a theory, right?" he asked.

Ritsuko bowed her head fora few seconds, before lifting it up and answering.

"The Rivulet of Ages." she said.

"The what of what?"

Ritsuko explained the story to Shinji as best she knew.

"I've aged? And you think... double my original age? I'm... 30 years old?" Shinji asked.

"That appears to be the case. You look about 30 years old, I think."

"Great! Just great! Skipped my college years before I got to high school." he huffed, drawing his hand through his hair.

Ritsuko tried to ignore the young man's actions as she huffed. "But the whole thing's just ridiculous! It's the only thing that makes sense and it's absolutely ridiculous!"

"What's really ridiculous is that I don't have any clothes in my size. Anymore." Shinji said, his clothes fully ripped, including his pants, leaving the boy only in his underwear.

_Whoa_! Ritsuko gasped.

"Uh... Dr Akagi?" he asked, noticing her staring.

"Relax, Shinji. It's not like I haven't seen naked men before. I am a doctor, after all." she smiled.

"Uh... right... but do you have a robe or something? Until I get some new clothes?" he asked, trying to cover himself with his arms.

"I think there's one in the bathroom." she said and she went in to the bathroom and found it.

Once Shinji was properly covered, the phone in Ritsuko's room rang.

"Hello?" Ritsuko spoke after picking up the phone.

(Ritz! It's Misato!) The voice on the other end said.

"Hey, where are you guys?"

(Stuck at the Kootsawa Hotel.)

"The Kootsawa? But that's... a hundred and twenty miles away!" she gasped. "It's gonna be real late when you get here. Though with your driving..."

(Hahaha. Actually we're stuck here for the week.)

"The week? What are you talking about?"

(You haven't heard? A freak snow storm rolled in from the North and covered all the mountain roads in both snow and sleet!)

"What?" she gasped.

"Dr Akagi, it's snowing!" Shinji said.

"What?" she gasped as she walked over to Shinji and PenPen who were staring out the window.

Ritsuko looked out the window and gasped. It _was_ snowing.

"Misato was right." she said.

(Of Course I'm Right!) Misato shouted through the phone. (The Weather Service is reporting that this is going to be the Storm Of The Century!)

"Misato, don't exaggerate!" Ritsuko said, stepping away from Shinji and into the next room.

(I'm not the one exaggerating! Until the storm clears up and the roads get plowed, you and Shinji are on your own!) Misato replied.

"Can't you chopper up here?" she asked, just throwing out idea like any good scientist.

(No can do. Even military aircraft are grounded. Didn't you see the news?)

"There's no TV up here Misato. That's one of the charms of this place!" she commented.

(Oy-Ve!) Misato groaned. (Well, I hope you guys have plenty of food cause you're gonna be stuck there until the storm clears!)

"I'll check on that later. At least the phone's are still working." Ritsuko replied.

(For now. It's more than likely they'll go down too.)

"Wonderful!" the faux-blond woman huffed.

(Oh, Ritz?) Misato called back.

"Yeah?"

(Was it just me or did Shinji's voice sound different?)

"Uh... yeah. It's either a sore throat or puberty." she said, not really exaggerating the 'puberty' idea.

(Alright. Well, if all goes well we'll see you in a week. And I don't need to remind you to behave yourselves.) She teased.

"Misato what are you insinuating?" Ritsuko gasped.

(Well... you're alone... with a cute guy... in a rather romantic place... what am I suppose to think?)

"Unlike YOU I would never take advantage of Shinji like that!" she spat, then a thought came to her mind. "Of course, I'd be a lot better for him than you!"

(What?)

"At least I can appreciate the things he does! Instead of teasing him, or abusing him, or tricking him into doing the majority of the chores!"

(What? I never!)

"Misato, you and I have been friends since college! I know how you cheat!"

(It was one time!)

"So you admit it! You know what, I think I will take a page from your handbook."

(Ritsuko, I swear, if you do anything to Shinji...)

"Like what? Make him a man?"

(RITSUKO AKAGI!!)

"If I were to sleep with Shinji, at least I could appreciate what I was taking! Unlike you!"

(You say that like I'm some sort of slut or something!)

"You've had more lovers than I have!"

(And you're doing this just to mess with me, aren't you?)

"Shinji is one of the nicest, sweetest, kindest men in the world. Living with you and Asuka it's a miracle he hasn't become beer-drinking woman-beater!"

(You're lucky I can't reach you right now because I'd..._**STATIC, STATIC**_)

"Misato? Misato?"

"What's wrong?" Shinji asked, peering around the corner.

"I... think the phone lines just went down." she replied.

"The storm's picking up. I think it's starting to sleet now." he said.

"Misato was right again. We're completely cut off from everyone else." she said, setting the phone down.

The pair looked at each other and blushed a bit. Which was surprising to the blond woman.

"I'd better go and see how we're stocked for food." Ritsuko said.

"Right." Shinji replied. "Oh, could you also check if they have any extra clothes I could borrow?"

"Of course, Shinji-kun." she said before stepping out of the room.

Ritsuko returned a few minutes later, a pair of robes in her hands.

"The manager didn't have any other clothes, just a pair of traditional robes. Uh... no underwear, sorry."

"Oh...thanks." he said, blushing as he accepted the extra clothes from her. _At least it's something._

"He also said that there is more than enough food for us for the week. Actually for a few weeks."

"Really?" he asked, setting the robes on his bed.

"Yes. Aside from him, the maid and the cook, we're the only ones here."

"What? We're the only ones?"

"Yes. Apparently the supply truck arrived when the other guests all checked out. And we got here right as the snow storm started in. So that means we've basically got the place to ourselves." she said with a smile.

_Alone... with Ritsuko-san... for a whole week?_ Shinji thought. _Better her than with Asuka I guess._

_Trapped in a romantic inn... alone with an adult Shinji... for a whole week._ Ritsuko thought. _What ever will we do?_ She grinned.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

_This is not what I expected_. Ritsuko sighed as Shinji placed his cards on the table across from her.

"Two Pairs of Ten!" Shinji smiled while PenPen finished up the last of their dinner.

"Aaah! You're mean!" Ritsuko groaned as she laid down her 'Full House'.

However, while Shinji dealt the cards for another round, Ritsuko got an idea. Leaning forward the faux-blonde woman carefully unbuttoned her shirt and smiled as she collected her cards.

This naturally caught the young man's attention, distracting him enough for Ritsuko to easily win with Two Pair. Had Shinji not been distracted he would have beat her with a Straight.

"Hmm. A little distracted are we Shinji-kun?" Ritsuko smiled as she stood up and headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Though her smile was a little arrogant at being able to manipulate the handsome young man with what she considered less-than-sizeable-assets, there was something in her that felt bad she had done that to Shinji.

As she left, Shinji looked over at PenPen, who just shook his head. He wasn't sure what the warm-water penguin was thinking, but there was only one thought on his mind at that point.

_I didn't know they were so big!_ He thought with a mild blush, vaguely wondering why he had never noticed before.

Though he had noticed she was an attractive woman, who couldn't, he was somewhat amazed and ashamed at how he had been ogling her like Toji and Kensuke did with Misato.

It was along that line of thought that Shinji felt an almost dull sensation go through his head. Like his mind and his emotions were warring with each other. Grabbed by an unfamiliar impulse, Shinji stood up and walked to the bathroom.

"SHINJI!" Ritsuko gasped, covering her body with her robe as he stepped into the bathroom. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to be sure about something." Shinji said with a slightly darkened tone, as he stepped up to the woman. There was an odd look in his eye, but one that Ritsuko didn't recognize right away. For a split-second, Ritsuko could have sworn it was lust.

He grabbed the collar's of her robe and pulled them open, the female scientist gasping but unable to move. Having already changed out of her clothes, Ritsuko was completely naked underneath her silk yukata robe

"I was right." he said in a raspy voice. "They're bigger than I thought they were."

"Wha-what?" she gasped, her hands gripping the edges of the sink for support.

"I knew you were beautiful, Ritsuko, I just didn't know how sexy your body really was."

She gasped at hearing the words come out his mouth.

_He... called me beautiful, and sexy!_ She thought, her mind realizing something else. _He really means it too. He's not just saying it!_

She caught something else in his eye briefly as Shinji suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

"Mmmp!" she squeaked as his tongue shot past her lips, his hands releasing her robe causing it to slip off her shoulders and pool around her legs.

Shinji's arms wrapped around her warm, soft body and pulled her in close, kissing her passionately.

_Oh god! He's really good at this!_ She thought as he kissed her. _But I've never known him to be so aggressive before. This is definitely a first!_

Her arms instinctively went to his chest and gripped his robe, pulling it open. Tugging on it for a few seconds finally achieved success, the black robe coming undone and falling to the ground. Her eyes were closed, but her hands told the blonde-scientist everything she needed to know. His skin was smooth, his muscles firm and not overly bulky. She felt some relief at finally being able to touch his warm body. Her hands reached up and ran her fingers through his rough, fine hair, wrapping around his neck to pull her flush against her body.

She stopped kissing him as something started poking at her from below.

"S-Shinji! What are... we doing?" she asked, her breath as ragged and raspy as his own.

"I... I don't know... but I want this." he said, his mind half-foggy as he stared at the woman in his arms. He didn't see NERV's chief scientist, his guardian's best friend, or the chain-smoking cat lover she claimed to be. All Shinji Ikari saw at this moment was Ritsuko Akagi, a sexy woman he wanted to make love to. "I want to make love to you Ritsuko! Will you let me?"

Her lips were inches from his own, her breath deep and ragged. Her eyes were half-open and her mind was filled with more lust than reason. And to be honest, it had been so long since she had known the touch of an Ikari. Originally Ritsuko had been attracted to Gendo because of the power he had wielded over her. Their 'affair' had been nothing more than a physical one, and one that he had used for his own purposes. While she felt ashamed that she'd gone into it with Gendo, knowing his intentions, there was a part of her that had hoped for something more to come out of it.

Something... that Shinji could give her.

Add to the fact that it was the adult Shinji making the request and the last of Ritsuko's hesitation broke down in an instant.

"Yes. Make love to me, Shinji-kun. Please." she gasped.

Shinji pulled Ritsuko tightly against his body, kissing her lips with both passion and pressure. His strong arms lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her effortlessly from the bathroom out into the living room where his futon was set up. He set her down gently, her arms and legs still wrapped around him, like she was worried he'd leave her. He stared into the young woman's deep green eyes, seeing a longing that he recognized as well.

"You're so beautiful, Ritsuko." he said staring down at her as he gently stroked her face.

"Shinji..." she sighed, mostly from the tenderness that his father never used. "I'm not beautiful."

"I think you are." he whispered softly to her as he leaned in to kiss her softly, his left hand reaching under the back of her head to hold her in place as his right hand carefully trailed down her long neck to her ample bosom.

"AH!" she gasped, breaking the kiss as she felt his hand fondling her breast. "That... that feels so good!"

_Then let's try this!_ Shinji thought as he grabbed her hips and pulled her up into a sitting position, the athletic blond woman in his lap as his mouth latched onto her right breast with fervor. His lips wrapped around the nipple at first, sucking on it with intensity, then pulling back to lap at it with his moist tongue.

"Oh! Yes! That's it! More! Don't Stop! I... Really... Like... That... Yes!" Ritsuko shrieked as she felt Shinji alternate between her right and left breast, giving each one personal attention, but also not staying too long on either one.

_They feel so good! And they are real, I knew it! _He thought as he suckled on her breasts like a starving baby. His hands on her back pushing her forward in order to hold her to him.

"AAAAHHHHH! YES! MORE! IT'S SO GOOD!" She cried out as she wrapped her arms around his head, her legs following suit around his waist.

Shinji lifted his head up, his left hand pulling Ritsuko's head down to his lips.

"Mmph!" she gasped. _This is turning me on even more! And we haven't even gotten to the best part._

Their lips parted after a minute, a thin bridge of saliva between them.

"Shinji! Please! I can't wait any longer. I... I want you!"

"I want you too, Ritz-chan!" he said huskily as his body shifted slightly to give himself room to move. "I'm ready. Are you?" he asked, barely restraining himself as he stared at her.

"Yes! Do it! Take Me Now!" she gasped, holding onto him tightly.

Shinji sucked in his breath as he quickly lowered the woman onto his aching member.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" she cried out.

"Ritz, what's wrong?" he quickly asked, not even half way into her.

"You're... huge Shinji! I've never had one so big before!" she gasped, realizing that while Shinji had been a normal size when he was younger, his accelerated age had certainly done a number on his more obvious member.

Though she had no way to prove that theory, she just decided to go with it for now.

"Do you want to stop?" he asked.

"No. I'm alright. You?" she replied.

"Incredible!" he said with a smile.

_Of course he's feeling incredible! This is HIS first time!_ Ritsuko gasped as Shinji pulled her the rest of the way down, fully engorging her body onto his member. _GOD! It feels like every available space inside me has been taken up!_ She thought as he set a slow and steady rhythm, in and out, the friction obvious due to the size of the 'intruder'.

"AH! AH!! YES! MORE! PLEASE MORE!" Ritsuko cried out as the young man gripped her hips and quickly lifted her up and down, his knees supporting both their weight. "IT'S INCREDIBLE! I'M FEELING GOOD! I'M FEELING SO GOOD! I'M FEELING REALLY, REALLY GOOD! I'M SO HOT, SHINJI! DON'T STOP!" Ritsuko panted loudly.

_Ritsuko isn't an easy woman_. Shinji thought as he continued thrusting. _But she's reacting faster to this than she should be._ He thought, remembering all the tapes that Kensuke had, as well as the 'advice' that Misato had given him during her usual drunken binges. _Maybe it's been too long since her last time?_ He wondered.

Her fingernails dug into his back as she was brought to her first orgasm of the night. Shinji ignored the pain and laid the woman down flat onto the futon. He continued pumping into her as he leaned in to kiss her full on the mouth.

Their tongues wrestled fiercely as their bodies were wrapped in each others grip, skin against skin, a tangled mess of flesh that wouldn't release the other.

Images of her body flooded his mind as he continued making love to her. All the attributes he'd never really noticed before. Her short soft blond hair, which he realized had been dyed from brown. Her deep green eyes that could pierce you as soon as look at you. Her red full lips that just begged to be kissed. That little mole under her left eye that he figured was just a beauty mark, but lead a person up to look at her eyes directly. Her soft pale skin, obviously due to too much indoor computer work and not enough sun.

And then there was her body: her long slim neck, her soft sensual shoulders, her thin but strong arms, her ample D-Cup breasts (which was kinda hard to notice underneath her white labcoat as opposed to Misato constantly exposing her own with those outfits of hers) her flat washboard stomach, her flaring curvy hips, her long swimmers legs, and all the way down to her cute manicured toes.

Everything about Ritsuko said 'beautiful', 'sensual', 'attractive', and even 'sexy'. She was like one of those female scientists or doctors you see in the movies: the brains of a Nobel Prize winner, the beauty of a swimsuit model.

As such it confused Shinji why she wouldn't think that she was beautiful. Maybe she had a few issues with her femininity, or maybe she wasn't as arrogant as Asuka was. Either way, this was his chance to change her perceptions of herself, and he would start by making her come.

Shinji pulled back from his tongue-wrestling with Ritsuko to stare into her eyes, catching her gaze as stared up at him.

"Ah... Shin-ji... you're... really good... at this!" she gasped as he continued thrusting into her.

"You give me... enough reason... God, you're so hot, Ritz-chan!" he gasped, holding her tightly, his skin rubbing against hers.

"I'm... oh yes... really not!" she panted heavily, gripping his shoulders tightly.

"How can you say that?" he asked, somewhat irritated. "You've got a beautiful body! You should be proud of it! Hell, even Asuka would be envious of you!"

Ritsuko would have laughed, had she not caught Shinji's intense 'I'm totally serious' look.

"Well... why not? Proportionately... I'm bigger than a fourteen year old girl!" she gasped, feeling her body release and come again.

"I don't think Asuka's going to get as big as you any time soon. Even if she found the... Rivulet, did you call it?" he said, increasing his speed and thrusts.

"I don't know. That girl is very competitive. AAAAHHHHH!!" she replied and cried, her head thrown back as her body arched up, pressing into Shinji's hard form as she came again.

Shinji increased his speed and force, pounding her with as much intensity as he dared to use.

Ritsuko's screams and shrieks of pleasure were nothing but a sea of incoherent words, her mind filled with nothing but the intense sensations Shinji was giving her.

"Oh God, Shinji!" she cried as she stared up at him, pleading to him as her body neared it's breaking point. Sweat fell like raindrops, her heart pounded like crazy, her lungs already overworked.

"Almost there, Ritsuko! Almost!" he replied as he held her tightly, arms and legs wrapped around her writhing form and closing in on climax.

The pair came together, screaming wildly as if a bomb had gone off inside them.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SHINJIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!" Ritsuko cried out as the multiple-orgasms pulsated through her body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH RITSUKOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Shinji shouted as he unloaded what felt like a firehose into her body.

For fear of his hearing due to the noises they were making, PenPen had taken refuge in the bathroom.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Morning came sooner than expected, though there was still no real sign of the snow letting up. It was already at Three Feet and still falling.

A knock on the door prompted Shinji to involuntarily rise up.

"Yes?" he asked, once the door was open.

"AAAH!!" the young woman shrieked, turning away from the sight of the athletic and totally naked young man before her.

Were Shinji fully awake he would have been more self-conscious about his appearance.

"Yes?" he repeated.

"Oh! Uh... I... brought you your breakfast, big boy... UH SIR! SIR!" she cried out and blushed, holding the tray of food for himself, Ritsuko and PenPen.

"Oh, thanks a lot." he said, taking the tray from the young woman.

"Uh... when you're done just... set the tray outside." she said, quickly running down the hall.

"Huh. Wonder what her problem was?" Shinji wondered as he stepped back inside and closed the door with his foot.

It would be hours later when he finally comprehended what had just happened. Right now he was still feeling the exhaustion of the intense sex he had just had with Ritsuko.

"Mmm. Who was that... Shinji-kun?" Ritsuko asked, eyes half open as she gently writhed her still damp and naked body on the futon.

"Just the cook bringing us our breakfast." Shinji replied, setting the tray down away from the futon and nearly collapsing next to the woman.

"Oh, god. I'm too tired to eat. I'm... still sore from last night." she sighed with a slight groan.

That got Shinji's attention, raising his consciousness to more awake than he had been. "I didn't hurt you, did I, Ritsuko?" he asked with some dread in his voice.

The woman turned to her lover and smiled, lifting her arm up to trail down his chest. "You didn't hurt me, Shinji-kun. You just kinda... wore me out." she smiled. "I enjoyed it, really."

He smiled as he laid himself down next to her, pulling her in close to him and hugging her tightly. He kissed her forehead gently before falling back to sleep with the woman.

Neither one noticed that PenPen had started to devour their breakfast.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The Second Day of their being snowed in found both Shinji and Ritsuko in the hot springs together. The sleet hadn't hit the inn as hard as the roads, so the open air hot springs were only a little snowed over. The hot springs themselves were half covered by the roofs of the inn, in case of rain.

Ritsuko was still a little sore from her sex with Shinji the previous night, so the young man thought that a soak in the hot springs was just what the doctor ordered.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmm! This is wonderful, Shinji-kun!" Ritsuko sighed as the steaming hot springs enveloped her naked body.

"I knew you'd like it, Ritz-chan." Shinji said to her, sitting next to the woman.

The pair sat in silence in the hot water and just soaked up the heat. Had they just sat there and rested against the natural rocks of the springs they would have fallen asleep. However, they didn't need to move in order to stay awake. There was an issue that they needed to address.

"So... how long do you think we can keep this a secret?" Ritsuko asked.

"I don't think I can keep _this_ a secret." Shinji replied, poking his chest with his thumb. "I mean, people are going to notice that I'm not 15 years old any more."

"Well... maybe we could run away together and find a place where nobody knows you." she joked.

"Where to?" he asked, sounding serious.

Ritsuko looked at him, slightly confused. "I was kidding, Shinji-kun." she smiled.

"Oh. Would have been nice though." he sighed, turning back and looking up to the still falling snow.

"Do you... mean that?" she asked, a slight flutter in her heart.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, his hand moving under the water to grip hers.

"You'd really... run away with me? Leave everything behind? Everyone you know?" she asked, her thumb unconsciously caressing the skin of his hand.

"Given the choice among you, Misato, Asuka, even Rei... yes." he replied.

"Shinji." she gasped. _Even Rei?_ She thought. Misato, maybe. Asuka, definitely. But... "That's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." she said with a smile.

He smiled back at her. "I'm just being honest, Ritz-chan."

Ritsuko leaned in and placed her head against his shoulder, a warm happy smile spreading across her lips.

"You really want to do this don't you? Be my boyfriend?" she asked as his head rested against hers.

"Boyfriend. Lover. Fiancée." he stated.

She looked up at him as he stared back to her, his lips slowly drawing towards her and meeting hers gently.

It was that simple chaste kiss that sparked a slight realization in Ritsuko's mind.

The rapid aging caused by the Rivulet of Ages had not only doubled Shinji's age but had also compounded the boys hormones. While Shinji hadn't ever been a normal teenager, he did have both feelings and emotions that had been suppressed due to his abandonment and other issues in his life. But having had an emotional breakthrough over the last year, the realization that he wasn't worthless, and an additional 15 years of hormones and feelings thrust upon him all at once had made him... well, amorous.

And with Ritsuko being the only female around that he knew and trusted, he instantly saw the faux-blonde scientist in a different light than he had before. One that he had not only embraced, but was reciprocated in full by the woman.

But it had also not escaped Ritsuko's brilliant mind at how coincidental the events leading up to this unusual relationship seemed.

First she and Shinji get lost by themselves on their way to a hot springs for a vacation. Then Shinji gets hit with the water from a reverse Fountain of Youth that physically makes him as old as herself. Then they get snowed in at the Inn together, for a whole week apparently with only the Inn's staff. And to top it all off, Shinji's hormones kicked in like crazy causing him to make a move on the only woman around he knew and had worked with for nearly a year.

Ritsuko counted herself lucky that it was herself and not Misato who was in this situation. Had she been a believer in fate and karma, she might have thought this as some kind of reward for the things she had done in her life. Though she knew she didn't deserve anything like this for what she'd done, she wasn't about to lose the one thing she wanted more than anything else.

Shinji and Ritsuko's kissing became more impassioned as the young man pulled the woman into his lap, holding her tightly as her arms and legs wrapped around him.

"Mmm! Mmmmph! Mmmmmmmmm!" Ritsuko moaned as her tongue battled with his. She felt his member once again enter her body, her hips instinctively rocking back and forth as Shinji's mouth moved from her lips to her neck, holding her tightly yet gently. _I don't care if I deserve this or not._ She thought as Shinji gave her a hickey. _Shinji isn't Gendo. He's better. He wants to be with me. He actually cares about me. There's no way I'm going to pass up this second chance!_

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Shinji and Ritsuko spent the rest of the week either in their room or in the hot springs making love to each other. The whole thing reminded Ritsuko of the week Misato and Kaji had spent in college just having sex. How they lounged around in bed without clothes, cuddling, making out, dirtying themselves as Misato had once confessed to her.

And now here she was doing the exact same thing almost ten years later. The only difference was Shinji. He was different than Kaji because unlike the unshaven double agent, she knew that Shinji wouldn't leave her. She had often wondered what a relationship or even a one-night stand with Kaji would have been like, despite Misato's expert opinion on the subject, and while upset at her best friend she was also a little jealous of that kind of relationship.

But those thoughts quickly subsided as the week wore on.

But like Misato, Ritsuko actually found herself going without clothes for most of the week, wearing only her robe whenever she and Shinji went to the hot springs from their room.

She also noticed the odd looks, and blushes, that the two female staff members gave her and Shinji whenever they passed them in the hallways.

This actually filled her with a sense of pride as well as embarrassment, as she realized two things. 1-She and Shinji had been doing it almost constantly and were both VERY vocal. And 2-They had seen both herself and Shinji naked from time to time when they answered the door and forgot to put their robes on.

But Shinji and Ritsuko didn't spend the week solely on love making. They also talked, learning all kinds of things that they didn't know about each other. Such as places they'd traveled, what Toji and Kensuke were really like, how many cats Ritsuko actually had. Just anything that came to mind. They even talked about music, movies, food, computers, and even their mooch of a penguin who tried to steal as much of their food as possible.

It was on the fifth day of their snow-bound quarantine, during a post-sex cuddling, that Shinji told Ritsuko that he loved her.

This of course made the faux-blonde cry tears of joy at hearing the one thing no one had ever told her before. And Shinji meant it, with all sincerity.

The rest of the week crawled by slowly, Shinji and Ritsuko never leaving each others side, glued to each others hip like a personal lifeline.

On the seventh day, the snow finally stopped.

"The snow's finally stopped." Shinji said, staring out the window of his room.

"I know." Ritsuko said, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his chest.

"You know that Misato and the others are going to be coming now." he said, feeling her breasts press up against his back.

"I know. But it'll be a couple days before the highway crews can get the roads clear. At least."

Shinji smiled. "Good. I want to spend as much time alone with you as possible." he said to her.

"But we should try and figure out something to tell Misato when she gets here." she added.

"Yeah. I've been a little... distracted to think of anything." he joked.

"Me too." she smiled, kissing Shinji's shoulder before resting her head against it. Suddenly, an idea came to her. "There is one thing that might work."

"What?" he asked.

"Well..."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU MADE SHINJI A MAN??" Misato shouted as she stared at her best friend.

"Now, Misato, don't yell." Ritsuko groaned at the woman.

It was two days later and Misato, Asuka and Rei had finally gotten through the snow once the roads had been cleared off. But when they got to the Taisuchi Inn they found a happy Ritsuko Akagi and an adult Shinji Ikari waiting for them. Desperate for answers, Misato instantly demanded to know what happened to Shinji.

Ritsuko's answer, of course, left a lot to be desired.

"I thought you were joking about that Ritsuko!" Misato snapped. "When you said you were going to 'make Shinji a man' I didn't think you were going to do it literally!"

"Well, this had mostly to do with Shinji's time spent in the Eva when he was absorbed. Remember?"

"Yes, I do remember. But I don't see how that has anything to..."

"Misato!" she said, stopping her friends rambling. "From a purely scientific standpoint, Shinji isn't normal." she started. "As I'm sure you know, the Eva-pilot candidates are all different, on a genetic level, which aids in their ability to pilot the Eva's. But the time that Shinji spent inside Unit 01 for an entire month further altered his genetics. He's been volatile for a while now, unstable as it were, and all that he needed to accelerate his condition to... this." she said, pointing at Shinji's adult body, "was the proper amount of... stimulation."

Though Misato looked a little lost, Asuka's eyes widened in realization.

"YOU TWO HAD SEX??" the redhead snapped.

"Yes, we did, Asuka!" Ritsuko snapped. "Why? Jealous?"

"OF YOU?! YEAH RIGHT!" she shouted.

"Okay... but... why? I mean... you two had sex, which triggered Shinji's... unstable genes... and caused him to age... like this?" Misato asked.

"Yes."

"THAT'S COMPLETE BULLSHIT!!" Asuka shouted.

"I just want to know _how_? I mean... you actually... did it and... how did you..." Misato tried to ask.

"It wasn't like we jumped each others bones, Misato!" Ritsuko said.

"But you said..."

"Misato," Shinji said to her. "Being snowed in here, with someone that we know and trust, someone that was as lonely and emotionally distraught as we were... it just kinda... brought us together in a way neither of us saw coming. We were here for each other, we comforted each other, and we loved each other."

"No kidding." Asuka grumbled sarcastically.

Shinji ignored the girl as he continued. "It wasn't like we 'did it' right from the start. But... when we did, and my genes triggered like this...well... after that it didn't seem wrong at all." he said as the faux-blonde took Shinji's hand into hers.

Misato, Asuka and Rei were all shocked. Though there was no way they could prove or disprove this, they begrudgingly admitted to the fact that Ritsuko knew the Eva's genetics better than anyone else alive. And with all the odd and unusual things that they had seen, and fought again, within the last year, this wasn't even the weirdest.

The problem was Shinji wasn't that good at lying, so Ritsuko had to do some coaching to get him to bend the truth to an extreme degree. If they could convince their closest friends that this was what had made Shinji an adult, blaming science and not magic water, then they'd be in the clear. And since Shinji's 'situation' during the Angel Wars were different than that of the other pilots, there would be no way to disprove what Ritsuko had said, despite how convenient it might have sounded.

"So... once Shinji-kun became an adult... you two ended up doing it regularly, right?" Misato asked.

"Yes. Just like you and Kaji during college." Ritsuko smirked.

"ULP!" Misato gulped.

"WHAT?" Asuka roared.

"Oh boy." Shinji groaned. "Uh, Rei?"

"Yes, Shinji-kun?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"How about Ritsuko and I show you where the hot springs are?" he suggested.

"That would be acceptable." she replied.

And to be honest, Ritsuko couldn't have agreed more as Asuka was now demanding details about Misato's and Kaji's college romance. PenPen also followed suit in this.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It was a week later and the group had eventually returned to Tokyo-3. There were a lot of tests done to the young man, but nothing that proved anything beyond Ritsuko's statement.

And since there was no way to achieve a 400 percent synch ratio without the Evangelions that would have altered or accelerated a person's physical condition, everyone was forced to accept that Shinji had gone from a 15-year old boy to a 30-year old man as a result of it.

Once his new ID's had been confirmed, Shinji and Ritsuko got married.

This was not only because they loved each other, but because of a more obvious phenomenon: Ritsuko was pregnant!

Apparently all that sex they had had at the Taisuchi Hot Springs had resulted in the one thing Ritsuko had purposely worked to prevent during her affair with Gendo. Once Gendo had died, Ritsuko just stopped taking her precautions.

NERV was disbanded and integrated into the UN as a top-flight research facility. Dr Akagi headed up the research team with her husband, Dr Shinji Akagi. Having an accelerated physical body, and hormones, had also had an effect on Shinji's mind as well. Shinji absorbed knowledge like a sponge, quickly earning three doctorates in the fields of mathematics, quantum physics, and chemistry.

Nine months later Ritsuko gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Kaji. Which was much to Misato and Asuka's chagrin, though the German redhead absolutely loved the little tyke.

The happy couple would go on to have three more children, two twin girls and another boy (named Yui, Kiyoko, and Kouzou, in honor of the sub-commander who died of heart failure right before the child was born)

Ritsuko never told her loving husband about her affair with his father, and there were times she still didn't think she deserved the happiness she had been given. But one warm smile from Shinji was all she needed to dispel her unhappy thoughts.

Shinji loved her and that was all that mattered to her. She had found the happiness she so desperately wanted out of life, and all thanks to a wrong turn made and a little splash of water from a Rivulet no other person knew about. Save one.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Author's Notes:

A while back someone wrote me a review for my 'Misato's Wish' story about how I should put Ritsuko and Shinji together in the same way by making Belldandy age Shinji to be the same age as Ritsuko.

However, that idea seemed rather... bland. I mean, just put Shinji and Ritsuko together the same way I did for him and Misato? Where's the creativity in that?

So instead I came up with another method to get the pair together. I did this mostly because, as I have said in the past, there are very few Shinji/Ritsuko stories out there.

And while I am mostly a Shinji/Rei fan, I have to admit that writing about Shinji and Ritsuko is pretty fun. I've got a bunch of other stories for this pairing in the works, but here's my latest piece.

Also, the Taisuchi Springs Inn is a totally made-up place.

Hope everyone likes this story and will leave me a good review. Later!


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